Watch out for this new “Youtube Virus” on Facebook!

Some people claim they’ve been “hacked” – but it’s actually a very successful phishing method.

The “Youtube virus” is actually not a virus at all, but rather a new phishing method involving unaware Facebook users clicking on supposed Youtube links. What happens? Scammers want to access your account with what on first glance looks like a link to a Youtube video. User report receiving personal messages from friends including their names and a smiley.

The message looks something like this:

Screenshot: Facebook/mimikama

Facebook-Phishing: Thousands affected

Users receive this message from real friends. It appears to be a Youtube link, but actually the logo is not from a Youtube video preview, but rather an image that leads to a fake Facebook login page:

Screenshot: Facebook/mimikama

Even if it may look real, it’s definitely fake, as you can see looking at the URL. That’s not Facebook. If you type in your login info, you deliver all your data to the scammers. And then they gain full access to your profile.

Attention: If your profile is an admin from a group or a page the scammers could take over. Never open similar links to videos which claim your in them. Inform the person sending you that message via Whatsapp or Email they have been hacked!